Tesla previews its ventilator powered by Model 3 tech

Tesla shared an update on the fan it is developing to meet the shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In one new video posted on the company’s YouTube channel, Tesla engineers showcase two versions of the fan, a prototype model with its components arranged on a desktop, as well as a compact model that shows what it might look like when used by a hospital. Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised to build the fans last month after New York mayor Bill de Blasio asked the company for help.

Tesla has been criticized for trying to invent a new fan rather than using an existing design, but the video helps explain his reasoning. “We want to use parts that we know very well, we know the reliability of … and they are available in volume,” says one of Tesla’s engineers. The company’s fan design redefines several components of its cars, including the infotainment screen and the Model 3 computer, as well as some used in the Model S suspension system. In theory, the use of these components should speed up the process of developing and manufacturing the machines.

“We want to use parts that we know very well”

Tesla is also not alone in trying to develop a new fan design. Yesterday, The Guardian reported that British companies pool their resources by developing their own fan designs. A prominent manufacturer is Dyson, which has received an order for 10,000 fans from the British government. However, as of yesterday, the Dyson design has not yet received regulatory approval from the relevant authorities, according to at The Guardian.

In the United States, other automakers Ford and General Motors have announced plans to manufacture ventilators and other essential equipment for the medical community. Ford is working with GE’s healthcare division to try to make a “simplified version” of its fans, while GM has partnered with Ventec Life Systems to help increase production of its machines.

Musk faced a wave of criticism for his responses to the new coronavirus pandemic, which in particular downplayed its severity, suggesting in a tweet that children are immune to the virus, and trying to keep the Tesla plant in California opened in violation of a shelter. -To order.

Despite Musk’s early skepticism about the virus, at least Tesla’s latest video shows that the company’s work on fans is progressing.